Drapery hanger



B. J. BIEDA DRAPERY HANGER June 8, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Nov. 22. 1961 lNvEryT e Bruce d. Bl

., May/31.7

ATTORNEYS lllllllllllllllllll l, rllllll vflllllllul June 8,v 1965 B. J. BIEDA 3,187,370

DRAPERY HANGER Filed Nov. 22. 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

Brace :l Bleda BY we Mf 5MM# A TTORNE YS United States Patent O 3,187,370 DRAPERY HANGER Bruce J. Bieda, 5590 N. River Road, Rosemont, Ill. Filed Nov. 22, 1961, Ser. No. 154,221 8 Claims. (Cl. 16-87.6)

This invention relates to drapery hangers or hooks and the like and is more particularly directed to new and improved hangers including an integral slide head which is constructed of material having a low coefficient of sliding friction and which is adaptable to slide on C-tracks of traverse rods of conventional construction.

Heretolore. it has generally been the practice to employ individual and separate slides constructed of material having a low coefficient of sliding friction, such as nylon, which ride on one or more tracks defined by a traverse rod. The slides are interloeked with the track and provided with apertures or eyelets to accommodate separate hooks or pins, cach of which contributes to support the curtain or drapery.

In hanging draperies and the like under prior art methods, each of the drapery hooks or pins is first inserted in the appropriate location in the curtain or drape,'and, after all the hooks are in place in the drape, the drape is then held by the installer while the hook end of each drape hook is inserted in the proper and corresponding aperture of a slide. When hanging wide drapes, the in staller is required to hold the drape, which may be quite heavy, in one hand while attempting to insert each of the hooks in the corresponding slide eyelet or aperture. EX- perience has indicated that this installation technique is often time-consuming and cumbersome, since the slides are apt to slide in the traverse rod track, and the installer has but one free hand with which to insert the drapery hoo/k in the eyelet of each slide. Thus, with the separate ltaf-...slides and hooks of the prior art, then it was often quite diicult to hang draperies on traverse rods and the like.

Moreover. with prior art hooks, the installer must have a separate stock of slides, as well as a separate stock of hooks. Slides must be added to or removed from the track rod so that the appropriate number of slides are present for properly hanging the drapery. Removal'of the interlocked slides necessitates disassembly of the track rod assembly. This separate slide-hook arrangement also required additional manufacturing expense since the two separate parts-hook and slide--had to be made.

With thc present invention, I substantially overcome thc problems and diiculties of the prior art and provide a drapery hook device having an integral slide head which is easily mountable to and removable from the track of a traverse rod.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved hanger or hook device for draperies and the like.

lt is another object of the present invention to provide an improved sliding hook device for hanging draperies and the like having an integral slide head adapted for sliding engagement with the track of a traverse rod.

. Still another object of the present invention is to pro-y vide an improved traverse rod and hook assembly wherein the hook includes an integral slide head constructed of low friction material which is slidable in the guideway ol or on the track of a C-shaped traverse rod.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a drapery hook which is sized to carry a drapery above the top surface of the traverse rod to present a uniform appearance and also to seat an integrally formed hook lslide head in sliding engagement with the track of thc traverse rod.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a method of forming one-piece hook and slide devices.

Mice

These and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become readily apparent to those versed in the art from a careful study of the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein like reference numerals and characters refer to like and corresponding parts throughout the several views, and wherein:

FIG. l is a fragmentary view in partial section of a drapery assembly including a hanger device constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention and illustrating its cooperative relationship with drapery material and a traverse rod;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 illustrating the ease of installation of the hanger of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a view like FIG. 2 illustrating the feature of the present invention of positioning the drape uniformly above the top surface of the traverse rod;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 2 illustrating an alternative hanger embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a front view in elevation of the hanger of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a view of the alternative hanger taken along line 7-7 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary view in vertical section of an alternative embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 9 is a view in front elevation of the slide hanger of FIG. 8.

Briefly stated, the present invention includes a drapery hook or hanger device including a U-shaped slide end which is constructed of material having a low coefficient of friction and which is slidable on the track provided by a traverse rod, preferably C-shaped in cross-sectional configuration.

As appears in FIG. 1, a traverse rod 10, as indicated herein, comprises an elongated track member which is substantially C-shape in cross-section. The track or traverse rod 10 provides a front face 12, integral with curvilinear and elongated top and bottom portions 14 and 16, respectively, and with parted and elongated rear jaws 18 and 20 which define a longitudinal slot 22 adapted to receive the slide heads of the drapery hanger or hook devices constructed in accordance with the present invention.

The drapery 24 may be constructed of any conventional material, such as cotton, and may be provided near the upper portion thereof with pleats 26 formed in the conventional manner as by stitching along folds 26a of the drapery material. A heading 25 is provided along the rear of the drapery to impart the requisite degree of stiffness to the top of the drapery to thereby present a pleasing uniform drapery top. v

A representative embodiment of a drapery hanger device constructed in accordance with the present invention, generally indicated by the numeral 28 in FIG. 1 comprises a generally arcuate or U-shaped rod member of one piece construction including a front or drapery-engaging portion 30 joined to a rear or track-engaging portion 32. Preferably, the device 28 is dimensioned to correspond to standard drapery fabric dimensions so that the upper portion of the drapery conceals the traverse rod and the upper portion of the drapery is maintained a uniform distance from the track, thus contributing to the pleasing and uniform appearance of the drapery.

The front or drapery-engaging portion 30 of the drapery hanger device 28 is of two-piece construction and includes a pair of identical first and second front leg portions 34 and 36 extending parallel to each other, but which are outwardly angled at their respective upper ends 34a and 36a for facilitating insertion thereof within the heading 25 of the drapery which, as shown in FIG. 1, is a standard open draw drape of the type presently being manufactured. The front portion ends 34a and 36a, because of their angled relationship, minimize snagging of the hanger device on the drape. The leg portions 34 and 36 are dimensioned to slip behind the heading 25 and the drape to compress or grasp the drape pleat fold 26 therebetween in such a manner that one leg portion 36 of the hanger is in contact with one side of the pleat fold 26a, while the other leg portion 34 contacts the opposite side of the pleat fold, as clearly appears in FIG. 1. The tension on the spread leg portions 34 and 36 urges the leg portions towards each other, and, thereby, the leg portions hold the pleat 26 firmly therebetween.

In inserting the leg portions 34 and 36 of the hanger into position between the heading and the drape, the ends 34a and 36a thereof are slipped between the drapery and the heading 25 and are moved upwardly to the top of the drapery heading to nest just beneath the top edge 25a of the heading 25. The lengths of the complementary leg portions 34 and 36 are preferably 11A inches so that the bottom 25b of the heading 25 is held snuggly between these leg portions as the hanger device 28 is inserted into position on the drapery.

As appears in FIG. 2, the pleat fold-engaging or front leg portions 34 and 36 of the hanger extend substantially parallel to each other and are curved to provide a bight 39. The rear or track-engaging portion 32 comprises a pair of leg portions 39a, one of which is shown in the drawing, which are joined to the bight 39 and which extend a predetermined distance parallel to the front draperyengaging portion 30. The leg portions 39a are joined to leg portions 40 and 42 (FIG. 1) which angle outwardly away from the front drapery-engaging portion 30 and which are joined to arcuate terminal portions 41, one of which appears in the drawing. The space between the front drapery-engaging leg portions 34 and 36, and the rear leg portions 39a forms a channel 43 which guides .the heading into the space of the bight 39 to minimize the possibility of the bottom 25h of the heading collecting or piling up in the bight 39 to thereby prevent the ends 34a and 36a of the drapery-engaging leg portions 34 and 36 from piercing the top 25a of the heading 25 as the hanger is inserted into position on the drapery. Moreover, the snugness provided by these front and rear leg.

portions forming the channel 43 of the hanger device 28 also provides additional rigidity to the crinoline or buckram of which the heading is made.

The arcuate portions 41 joined to each of the rear leg portions 40 and 42 are integral to'form an arcuate loop (FIG. l) forming a slide head or hook 44. The slide head 44 is insertable into the slot 22 of the C-shaped traverse rod and engageable in sliding contact with a track lip or edge a of the lower jaw 20.

The curved slide head 44 is preferably coated with a plastic material having a low coefficient of sliding friction, such as nylon and the like, to Afacilitate sliding contact of the head with the track lip 20a of the traverse rod 10. The plastic coating of head 44 may be coated on the curved leg portions 40 and 42 in any conventional manner, such as by spraying, dipping, molding, and the like, with proper curing or a separate head may be secured as by cementation to the leg portions 40 and 42. The slide head 44 is formed integral with each of the leg portions 40 and 42 and provides means securing the hanger device 28 into a unitary assembly.

The ease of installing the hangers 28, constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention, in the slot of a C-shaped traverse rod is illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4. Because of the curved portion 41 of each of the rear leg portions 40 and 42, each drapery hanger 28 may be secured to the drape 24 in such a manner that, when assembled on the traverse rod, the top portion 24b of the drape 24 will extend above the top surface 14 of the traverse rod 10.

As appears in sequence in FIGS. 2, 3, and 4, the drape and hangers are mounted in sliding engagement with the track of the C-shaped traverse rod by bringing each of the slide heads 44 upward at an angle from the bottom of the traverse rod 10 so that the end 44a of the slide head 44 slides upward over the jaw lip 20 of the traverse rod 10, then is moved downward to seat the inner surface of the head on the track lip 20a. The head end 44 thus slides over the lip 20a, and the slide head then seats on the lip 20a, as shown in FIG. 2. The spacing of the front and rear leg portions of the hanger 28 is such that the front leg portions 34 and 36 and drapery material are held resiliently against the front face 12 of the track, the slide head 44 is held resiliently in slot 22 and the weight of the drapery maintains the slide head 44 in slidable contact with lip 20a.

It will be observed, therefore, that the installer of the drapery need only assemble the hanger devices 28 to the drapery and then, in a single operation, insert each of the slide heads 44 in the track slot 22. Thus, lthe prior art requirement for use of a separate slide slidably mounted in the track slot 22 for each hanger, with Ithe attendant time-consuming and hit-and-miss type assembly of the hooks `and slides is eliminated with the present. invention. Also, only 4one simple combined hook and slide hanger device need be produced, stocked, and handled.

Moreover, the construction facilitates removal of the drapery from the track slot 22. By exerting a sidewise pressure to the draperies from the center of the track toward the end of the track and at a location adjacent the hooks, the slide heads 44 will, when the drapery Ibunches or piles up, rise away from the track lip 20a, out of the slot 22, and release the drapery from the track in ya simple operation. In this manner, the problems of former methods of removing 'the dnapery from the track interlocked slides-is eliminated when the drapery is to be removed from the rod.

In the embodiment of the hanger appearing in FIGS. 5-7, the curved ends 34a and 36a of the hanger 28 of FIG. 1 are not employed and the ends 61 and 62 of the drapery-engaging portions 34 and 36 are each provided with a separate coating or casing of suitable material 60 having a low coeflicient of sliding friction. Such material 60 may be nylon or other plastic material having the del sired characteristic of la low coeiiicient friction.

As clearly appears in FIG. 5, t-he drape 24' is provided with attached heading 25 adapted to receive the front leg portions 34 and 36' of the hanger 28. The hanger 28 is similar in construction and operation, in all respects except as noted above, to the hanger 28 of FIG. 1.

To construct the hanger, a wire rod of suitable material, such as metal, may Ibe employed. The wire is folded in two and then Ibent back upon itself to form the front drapery-engaging portion 30 and the rear track-engaging portion 32. The wire is then provided with the requisite curved contours detailed above in the description of either the hanger 28 of FIG. 1 or hanger 28' of FIG. 5, and in such manner that the drapery-engaging portion 30 of the' wire is dimensioned to carry the drapery a predetermined distance labove the top surface of the traverse rod 10 when the slide end 44 of the hanger engages the lip 20a of the traverse rod track jaw 20.

The slide head end 44 of the track-engaging portion 32 of the hanger wire is then dipped in 'a liquid coating bath of nylon, in accordance with one coating technique of the present invention, to produce the integral slide head 44 having a low coeicient orf sliding friction and to thereby complete formation of 111e hanger 28.

In forming the hanger 281, the coating forming the slide head 44 may be applied not only to the curved ends of the track-engaging portion 32 of the wire, but also to the ends of the drapery-engaging portions 34 and 36 simultaneously in a single operation. For example, when the slide head end 44 of the wire is dipped in the coating bath, the ends of the drapery-engaging portions of the wire, while maintained in spaced apart relation to each other, `may also Ibe dipped in the same coating bath in the same single operation to thereby apply the nylon coating material to each of the ends `of the drapery-engagin-g portions of the wire. Upon hardening of the coatings, ythe slide 'head 44 is formed to complete the hanger, and the hanger is now ready for use. It will be appreciated, -however, that alterna-te methods of coating the ends of the front and rear legs, or Iboth, of the hanger lsimultaneously or separately may valso be employed in the practice of the present invention. l

In FIGS. 8 and 9, a drapery hook is shown wherein the drapery-engaging portion 62 is provided with a pointed or needle head `63 which is in-sertable in the drapery Z4. The rear leg 64 lof the hook is curved outwardly as at 65 and then extends inwardly Ias indicated at `66. Applied to the fleg 64 is a slide head 67 of a plastic coating 68 of material having a low coefficient of sliding friction.

It will be observed that in each of lthe embodiments appearing in the drawing, the drapery-engaging legs or leg are dimensioned relative to the -slide carrying leg so that the entire drapery top is maintained uniformly a suicient distance above the top edge 14 ofthe traverse rod whereby a pleasing and continuously uniform Iappearance to the drapery assembly is provided. The slides of each of the hanger embodiments appearing in the drawing are maintained against the track Ilip 20a and, being constructed of material having a low coefficient of friction, easily slide along the track of the C-shaped traverse rod when the drapes are opened or closed.

Fllhus, with the present invention, I provide simple and effective means for installing draperies and slidably disposing either draw or sliding drapery lin a traverse rod track with a hanger having an integral slide head constructed of a material having a -low coefficient of sliding friction.

Although various modifications of the present invention will become readily apparent to those versed in the art, it should be understood that I wish to embody within the scope of the patent `all such embodiments as reasonably and properly come within the scope of my contribution to the art, as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A hanger adapted for the support yof draperies while in sliding engagement with the track of a `traverse device comprising: a first substantially U-shaped portion joined at one end to one end of a second substantially U-shaped portion, each of said portions having a first draperyengaging leg, and a second rtrack-engaging leg curved generally outwardly from the first leg, and a slide head joining the first and second members in side-by-side and generally parallel relation, said slide head being constructed of a material having a flow coefficient of sliding friction and adapted to engage the track of the traverse device.

2. A hanger adapted for the support of draperies While in sliding engagement -With the track of a traverse device comprising: a first substantially U-shaped portion joined at one end to one end of a second substantially U-shaped portion, each of said members having a fir-st drapery-engaging leg and a second track-engaging leg curved generally outwardly from the first leg, and a slide member integrally formed with and joining in side-byside generally parallel relation, `said ends of said second legs of each of said first and second portions, said slide member being constructed of a material having a low coefficient of sliding friction and adapted to engage the track of a traverse device.

3. A hanger adapted for the support of draperies while in sliding engagement -with the track of a traverse device comprising: a `first substantially U-shaped portion joined at one end to one end of a second substantially U-shaped portion, each of said portions having a first dra-pery-engaging leg carrying a head of drapery-engagin-g material having a low coefficient of sliding friction and a second track-engaging leg curved Igenerally outwardly from the first leg, and a slide head joining the said ends of the first and second portions in side-.by-side and generally parallel relation, said slide head beingconstructed of a material lh-aving a low coefiicient of sliding friction and adapted to engage the track of the traverse device.

4.v A hanger adapted for the support of draperies while in sliding engagement with the track of a traverse device comprising: 4a first substantially U-shaped portion joined at one end to one end yof a second substantially U-shaped portion, each of said portions having a first draperyengaging leg, and a Isecond track-engaging leg curved generally in a direction away from the first leg, and an inwardly-open-sided slide head extended into a position between said first yand second portions and joining the first and second portions in side-by-side and -generally parallel relation, said slide head being constructed of a materi-al having a low coefficient of sliding friction and adapted to engage the track of the traverse device.

5. A hanger adapted for the support of draperies while in sliding engagement with the track of a traverse device comprising: a first substantially U-shaped portion joined at one end to one end of a second substantially U-shaped portion, each of said members having a first draperyengaging leg and a second track-engaging leg curved generally in a direction away from the first leg, and an inwardly-open-sided inverted-U-shaped slide member extended into a position between said first and second portions and integrally formed with and joining in sideby-side generally parallel relation said ends of said second legs of each of said tirst and second portions, said slide being constructed of a material having a 10W coefficient of sliding friction and adapted -to engage the track of a traverse device.

d. A hanger Vadapted for the support of draperies rwhile in sliding engagement with the track of a traverse device comprising: a first substantially U-shaped portion joined at one end to one end of a second substantially U-shaped portion, each of said portions having a first drapery-engaging leg carrying a head of drapery-engaging material having a low coefiicient of sliding friction and a second track-engaging leg curved generally in a direction away Afrom the first leg, -and a slide head extended into a position between said first and second portions and joining the said ends of the first and second portions in sideby-side and generally parallel relation, said slide head being constructed of a material having a low coefiicient of sliding friction and adapted to engage the track of the traverse device, said first drapery-engaging legs when in use standing higher than said second track-engaging legs, said first and second legs being on opposite sides of said traverse device and being spaced so as to yieldably maintain engagement of said slide head with the track of said traverse device.

7. A hanger substantially as set forth in claim 1, said first drapery-engaging legs when in use standing higher than said second track-engaging legs, said first and second legs being on opposite sides of said traverse device and being spaced so as to yieldably maintain engagement of said slide head with the track of said traverse device.

8. A hanger adapted lfor the support of draperies and the like while in sliding engagement with the lower track of a longitudinally and vertically open side face of a C-shaped traverse device comprising a one-piece and generally U-shaped me-mber having a portion adapted to engage and support a drapery, and a slide portion having an external surface constructed of a synthetic material having a lower coefficient of sliding friction and which is contoured to slidably engage the track of a traverse device, said drapery engaging portion being resiliently urged toward a closed face of the traver-se device and the slide portion being resiliently urged toward the open face of the traverse device.

(References on following page) 

1. A HANGER ADAPTED FOR THE SUPPORT OF DRAPERIES WHILE IN SLIDING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE TRACK OF A TRAVERSE DEVICE COMPRISING: A FIRST SUBSTANTIALLY U-SHAPED PORTION JOINED AT ONE END TO ONE END OF A SECOND SUBSTANTIALLY U-SHAPED PORTION, EACH OF SAID PORTIONS HAVING A FIRST DRAPERYENGAGING LEG, AND A SECOND TRACK-ENGAGING LEG CURVED GENERALLY OUTWARDLY FROM THE FIRST LEG, AND A SLIDE HEAD JOINING THE FIRST AND SECOND MEMBERS IN SIDE-BY-SIDE AND GENERALLY PARALLEL RELATION, SAID SLIDE HEAD BEING CONSTRUCTED OF A MATERIAL HAVING A LOW COEFFICIENT OF SLIDING FRICTION AND ADAPTED TO ENGAGE THE TRACK OF THE TRAVERSE DEVICE. 